Lisa Hamler-Fugitt with the Ohio Association of Foodbanks said the latest report actually shows the number of Ohioans who can’t provide food for themselves has ticked up a little bit.

“Child hunger, also known by the USDA definition of food insecurity, continues to rise in the state of Ohio," she said. "In fact, 671,000 of Ohio’s children are now food insecure, meaning their families lack the resources necessary to provide a minimum adequate diet for them. That is enough children to fill the Ohio Stadium more than six times over.”

Hamler-Fugitt said the new report shows Ohio is now tied for third in the nation for the highest rates of very low food security. She said while the state has put money into some new food programs for poor Ohio children, the need is far greater than the supply. She intends to use this report to continue to lobby lawmakers at the state and federal level for more money for hunger programs.